Discussion

Good local flour tortillas?

Just back from a trip to Idaho where I had the amazing Rita's tortillas at a fried taco party. OHMYGOD delicious. I'd like to replicate here at home but have yet to find a great source of flour tortillas. Ricardo and Marias are fine and I do use them in a pinch, but the sublime ones are a little thicker, and definitely handmade, not factory made. Any ideas for Boston area tortilla greatness?

I've never had any better than R&Ms around here, including at the better regarded restuarants. Supposedly, they supply most of the restuarants anyway, according to a recent article in the Globe. If there's better at a particular restuarant, I bet they make them inhouse. Perhaps there are a couple small taquerias that sell their tortillas. If so, I'd like to know about them too.

Making tortillas yourself is very easy. Its well worth the effort and nominal expense for a press and comal, which is a heavy, flat cast iron griddle for cooking tortillas.

Not locally made, but the Whole Foods brand flour tortillas are a little bit thicker and drier than Maria and Ricardo's. I actually prefer M&R's (although they absolutely need to be toasted briefly on a griddle to have any taste), but the WF brand might be a little closer to what you're looking for.

I, too, have been longing for fresh flour tortillas, since I left my home in Pilsen (Mexican 'hood in South Side Chicago, where I could buy them anywhere, even off a cart). Along the lines of Michael B, I have been using Trader Joe's handmade tortillas (Cambridge store - in the same section as their others). I know Market Basket Union Sq has fresh tortillas in the morning - are they of the R&M variety?

Whole Foods flour tortillas are made by Leona's, which was my brand of choice during my years in New Mexico. But while they're definitely authentic, they're not exactly fresh, since they're coming all the way from New Mexico.